Padres celebrate Dodgers sweep

San Diego Padres' Kyle Blanks, right, is greeted by on-deck batter Will Venable after his solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
— AP

San Diego Padres' Kyle Blanks, right, is greeted by on-deck batter Will Venable after his solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
/ AP

LOS ANGELES  The Padres celebrated the return of Chase Headley Wednesday night by hitting three homers off Clayton Kershaw to defeat the Dodgers 7-2 and complete their first sweep of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium since 2006.

Everth Cabrera, who fell a hit (triple) short of a cycle for the second time in five games, Chris Denorfia and Kyle Blanks homered off the Dodgers left-handed ace, marking only the second time in his 152-start career that Kershaw gave up three homers in a game.

The Padres out-scored the Dodgers 22-7 in the three games while getting 37 hits. The Padres have won seven of the last eight games they’ve played in Dodger Stadium.

"This series was a good sign, it really was," said Padres manager Bud Black. "It was big, no doubt. It was well played by us. We came up here and started swinging. It was great to see that."

Headley, who was activated from the disabled list earlier Wednesday, drew a walk after Cabrera’s game-tying, lead-off homer in the fourth, leading to two more runs in the inning. He later drove in his first run of the season with an eighth-inning single.

Headley returned to the lineup exactly a month after fracturing the tip of the bone in his left thumb while sliding into second in an exhibition game against the Angels.

The loss of the third baseman who finished fifth in the National League Most Valuable Player voting last season certainly factored into the Padres 4-10 start.

“There are a handful of guys who impact their clubs more than others,” Black said before the game. “Chase is our guy. That type of player rubs off on teammates. He makes right decisions. Chase has accepted that torch.”

“It’s a good day any time you get your best player back,” said Padres catcher Nick Hundley.

Headley, who made four rehab starts for Single-A Lake Elsinore before returning to the Padres, admitted he was “excited to be back” and said he was ready to get his season started.

“I’m very comfortable where I’m at,” Headley said. “Everything is great. Tuesday was the first day I really felt ready. The first day at Lake Elsinore was good. The next few days I was stiff. I’ve done everything I can to be ready.

“If I wasn’t capable of doing the job, I wouldn’t be here. My only concern is getting it hyper-extended. That’s how it broke the first time. I’ll wear a split on it.”

Headley said he had a scare during the first inning he played in the field while on his rehab assignment.

“I dived for a ball down the line and rolled over on my hand,” he said. “I was scared for a moment.”

Headley admitted that being on the disabled list made him “feel invisible.”

Headley reached base in the fourth after Dodgers third baseman Nick Punto dropped hit foul pop-up in front of the Dodgers dugout for an error. The Padres loaded the bases on a single by Jesus Guzman and a walk to Yonder Alonso.

Headley scored on Jedd Gyorko’s sharply hit double play grounder to third. The Padres third run in the inning scored on Blanks’ two-out single.

Denorfia led off the fifth with his first homer of the season to make it 4-1. Blanks crushed a two-ball fastball from Kershaw with one out in the sixth, the line drive hitting the façade of the second deck just inside the left-field foul pole.

The outing was the worst of the season for Kershaw. He gave up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings.

The Padres extended their lead to 6-1 in the top of the seventh. Cabrera greeted reliever J.P. Howell with a double inside the bag at third. Cabrera stole third with one out and scored on Mark Kotsay’s pinch-hit single to center.

Padres starter Tyson Ross held the Dodgers to one run on six hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings. But he couldn’t get the final out he needed to record his first win as a Padre. Ross also suffered a temporary dislocation of his left shoulder while getting his first major league hit -- and the Padres' first off Kershaw -- in the bottom of the third. His arm popped out of the joint on his follow through of the swing.

"I'm fine," said Ross. "I've done it before."

Brad Brach came on with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth to retire Skip Schumaker on a come-backer. Brach was credited with the win.